Portable Programmable Scanner for Industrial Logistics Applications

Description

BE2025 / 5084 2 US5305181Adescribesanarm-orwrist-mountedterminalwithaflexible housingbuthasseveraldrawbacks.Wearingadeviceonthearmorwristforextended periodsmaycausediscomfortandrestrictmovement.Theaddedweightcouldleadto operatorfatigue,especiallyinphysicallydemandingenvironments.Theflexiblehousing, whileintendedtoimprovecomfort,maycompromisedurabilityandprotectionagainst5 industrialhazardslikedustandimpact.Additionally,screenvisibilityandinteractioncould bechallenging,requiringfrequentadjustmentsthatslowdownworkflowefficiency. Existingwearableandhandheldscannersystemshaveseveraldrawbacks thatlimittheireffectivenessinindustrialenvironments.Glove-mountedandwrist-worn10 designscancausediscomfort,restrictmovement,andleadtooperatorfatigueovertime. Additionally,hygieneissuesarisewhensharingglovesbetweenoperators,requiringfrequent cleaningorreplacementstoavoidcontamination.Theneedforglovesofvarioussizes,as wellasleft-andright-handedconfigurations,furthercomplicatesusabilityandincreases operationalinefficiency.Clip-onandmodularsystemsoftenlackstability,makingthem15 pronetomisalignment,accidentaldetachment,orreducedscanningaccuracy.Manyof thesedevicesarealsodirectional,meaningtheycanonlybeusedinafixedorientation, reducingflexibilityfordifferenttasksandworkenvironments.Frequenthandlingor adjustmentsfurtherslowdownworkflowsandincreasestrainonusers.Additionally,high powerconsumptionleadstofrequentrecharging,disruptingoperations.Furthermore,20 flexiblehousingsandmodularconstructionsmaycompromisedurability,makingthese devicesmorevulnerabletodust,moisture,andmechanicalstress,ultimatelyincreasing maintenancerequirementsandreducinglong-termreliability.Finally,anothersignificant drawbackofexistingdevicesistheirdifficultyinseamlesslyintegratingintovariousindustrial workflows.25 Summaryoftheinvention Itistheobjectoftheinventiontoprovideaprogrammablehandheldscanner withamodularandconnectedkeypadthatovercomesthelimitationsofexistingwearable30 andhandheldscannersystems.Theinventionaimstoimproveergonomics,flexibility,and efficiencybyofferingalightweight,adaptabledesignthatreducesoperatorfatigueand allowsformulti-directionaluse.Byintegratingwirelessconnectivity,customizable programming,andanoptimizedpowermanagementsystem,thedeviceenhances workflowefficiencyandensuresreliableperformanceindemandingindustrial35 environments.Additionally,themodularkeypadallowsforintuitivehuman-machine 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 3 interaction,improvingusabilityacrossvariousapplicationssuchaslogistics,qualitycontrol, andorderfulfilment. Accordingtotheinvention,thisobjectissolvedbytheprogrammable modularkeypadsystemaccordingtothefirstclaim,configuredforintegrationwitha5 traceabilitysystemtomanageandenhancethetraceabilityandidentificationofitems withinanindustriallogisticsenvironment,theprogrammablekeypadsystemcomprising: -ahousingenclosingaprintedcircuitboard,PCB,operativelycouplingmodulesvia aprocessingunit,themodulescomprising: -apowermanagementmodulecomprisinganinternalpowersourceforautonomous10 operationand / orapowerinterfaceforconnectiontoanexternalpowersource; -awirelesscommunicationmoduleconfiguredtoestablishconnectivitywiththe traceabilitysystemand / orothernetworkeddevicesviawirelessprotocols; -ascanningmoduleconfiguredtocaptureidentificationdataassociatedwiththe items;15 -theprocessingunitconfiguredto: oprocesstheidentificationdatacapturedbythescanningmodule; omapthecaptureddatatocorrespondingactions;and otransmitthecorrespondingactionstothetraceabilitysystem; whereinthehousingfurthercomprises:20 -amodularkeypadmatrixcomprisingapredefinednumberofcustomizablekeys,eachkeyconfigurabletoperformprogrammablefunctionsassociatedwiththe traceabilitysystem,thefunctionscomprisinginterfacefunctions,wireless communicationfunctions,devicecontrolfunctions,and / oradvancedoperation functions.25 Atraceabilitysystemisessentialformanagingandenhancingthetrackingof itemswithinanindustriallogisticsenvironment.Inmodernsupplychains,theabilitytomonitor themovementofgoodsinreal-timeensuresgreaterefficiency,reduceserrors,andimproves overallworkflowcoordination.Suchasystemenablesorganizationstotrackanitem's30 journeyfromproductiontofinaldelivery,providingcrucialvisibilitythathelpsstreamline logisticsoperations.Byintegratingvarioustechnologiessuchasbarcodescanning,RFID,IoT sensors,andcloud-baseddatamanagement,businessescanachieveahigherlevelof controlovertheirinventoryandlogisticsprocesses.Itcangofrominteractingwithhighly complexsystems,likeanenterpriseresourceplanning,ERP,systemorawarehouse35 managementsystem,WMS,tohandlingatasklikefillingoutaspreadsheetfile. 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 4 Oneoftheprimaryadvantagesofanadvancedtraceabilitysystemisthe abilitytocaptureandprocessreal-timedataoneachitem'sstatus,location,and movement.Byimplementingautomatedscanninganddataloggingsolutions,industrial logisticsenvironmentscansignificantlyreducetheseinefficiencies.Theuseofbarcodeor RFID-basedtrackingallowsforquickandaccurateidentificationofgoodsatvarious5 checkpoints,ensuringthateachitemisaccountedforthroughoutthesupplychain. Connectivityplaysacrucialroleinenhancingtraceability,particularly throughtheintegrationofIoT-enabledsensorsandwirelesscommunication.Theseenable continuousmonitoring,providinginstantupdatesontheconditionandpositioningofitems.10 Forexample,inindustriesdealingwithperishablegoodsorsensitivematerials,real-time environmentalmonitoringensuresthatstorageconditionsmeetregulatoryandquality standards.Inthecaseofunexpecteddelaysordeviations,alertscanbegenerated automatically,allowingforimmediatecorrectiveaction. 15 Furthermore,aneffectivetraceabilitysystemimprovescompliancewith regulatoryrequirementsandindustrystandards.Manyindustries,includingpharmaceuticals, foodproduction,andautomotivemanufacturing,havestrictguidelinesregardingthe documentationandtrackingofmaterials.Arobusttraceabilityframeworkensuresthatall necessaryrecordsaremaintained,allowingbusinessestodemonstratecomplianceand20 respondquicklytoauditsorrecallsifnecessary.Thislevelofcontrolnotonlyenhances operationaltransparencybutalsobuildstrustwithcustomersandregulatorybodies. Theclaimedprogrammablemodularkeypadsystemisakeyelementwithin atraceabilitysystemasdiscussedabove,providinganinnovativesolutionforimproving25 traceabilityinindustriallogistics.Byintegratingadvancedtechnicalcomponentsintoa cohesiveandadaptabledesign,itenhancesbothfunctionalityandefficiency.The followingsectionswillfurtherdetailitskeytechnicalfeatures. ThesystemcomprisesarobusthousingthatenclosesaPCBdesignedto30 optimizespacewhileensuringstructuralintegrity.ThePCBisforexampleastackedPCB. Withinthishousing,thePCBservesasthecentralplatform,operativelycouplingmultiple functionalmodulesthroughaprocessingunitthatmanagesdataflowandsystem operations.Theintegratedmodulesincludeapowermanagementmodule,awireless communicationmodule,ascanningmodule,andamodularkeypadmatrix,whichisalso35 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 5 consideredtobeamodule.Inotherwords,theprocessingandmodulesarealsoenclosed bythehousing. Thepowermanagementmoduleisdesignedtoensureoperationalreliability andflexibilityinvaryingindustrialscenarios.Itincorporatesbothaninternalpowersource,5 enablingautonomousoperationinenvironmentswithoutimmediateaccesstoexternal power,andapowerinterface,allowingconnectiontoexternalpowersourceswhen available.Thisdualcapabilityensuresthatthekeypadsystemcanoperateconsistently underdifferentpowerconditions,reducingdowntimeandenhancingreliability.Thepower interfaceisfurtherconfiguredtochargetheinternalpowersource.10 Theinclusionofawirelesscommunicationmodulefacilitatesseamless integrationwithtraceabilitysystemsandothernetworkeddevices.Bysupportingwireless protocolssuchasWi-FiorBluetooth,themoduleenablesreal-timedataexchange,ensuring thatthesystemremainsconnectedtocentralizeddatabasesorcloudservicesofthe15 traceabilitysystem.Thisfeatureisparticularlycriticalindynamicindustrialsettings,where wiredconnectionsmaybeimpractical. Thescanningmoduleisacorecomponentfordataacquisition,allowingthe systemtocaptureidentificationdatafromitemsusingtechnologiessuchasbarcode20 scanning,RFID,orQRcoderecognition.Itshouldthereforebeunderstoodthatthescanning modulecanbeascannerequippedwithanimagesensorfordecodingQRcodesand similardata,butalsoamodulehavingRFIDfunctionalitylikewisetocapturedata.This captureddataservesasthefoundationfortraceability,enablingaccuratetrackingand managementofitemsthroughoutthelogisticschain.Tothisend,thescanningmodule25 comprisesascanningdevice,suchasanopticalscannerforcapturingvisiblelight,anRFID receiverforreadingradio-frequencytags,oranyothersuitablehardwarefordata acquisition. Theprocessingunitactsasthesystem’scomputationalcore,coordinatingthe30 interactionsbetweenthemodules.Itprocessestheidentificationdatacapturedbythe scanningmodule,mapsthedatatocorrespondingprogrammableactions,andtransmits theresultingoutputstothetraceabilitysystem.Thisfunctionalityensuresseamlessintegration betweenthephysicalkeypadsystemandthedigitaltraceabilityplatform,enablingefficient andautomatedworkflows.35 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 6 Themodularkeypadmatrixisacustomizableinterfacethatallowsusersto configureapredefinednumberofkeystoperformvariousprogrammablefunctions.The configurationcanforexamplebeperformedwirelesslybyBluetooththroughauser-friendly applicationonamobiledevice.Thesefunctionsincludeinterfacecommands(e.g., navigationcontrolsorshortcutkeys),wirelesscommunicationfunctions(e.g.,triggeringdata5 transmissionsorapplicationprogramminginterface,API,requests),devicecontrolfunctions (e.g.,mediaplaybackordeviceinteraction),andadvancedoperations(e.g.,pointer movementsorcomplexmacroexecution).Thisadaptabilitymakesthekeypadsystem suitablefordiverseusecaseswithintheindustriallogisticsdomain. 10 Thisprogrammablemodularkeypadsystemisacomprehensivesolution tailoredforindustriallogisticsenvironments.Itscombinationofpowerflexibility,wireless connectivity,dataacquisition,advancedprocessingcapabilities,andcustomizableuser interfacespositionsitasarobusttoolformanagingandenhancingtraceability.By integratingthesefeaturesintoacohesivedesign,thesystemaddressesthechallengesof15 modernindustrialoperations,suchasscalability,reliability,andadaptability. Themodularkeypadmatrixisacriticalcomponentoftheprogrammable modularkeypadsystem,designedtoenhanceusabilityandadaptabilitywithinindustrial logisticsenvironments.Asalreadymentioned,itcomprisesapredefinednumberof20 customizablekeys,eachofwhichcanbeindividuallyconfiguredtoexecutespecific programmablefunctions.Thisflexibilityallowsoperatorstotailorthedevice'sfunctionalityto suittheiruniqueworkflowrequirements,improvingefficiency,accuracy,andeaseofusein traceabilityapplications. 25 Oneoftheprimaryadvantagesofthismodularkeypadmatrixisitsabilityto supportinterfacefunctions,primarilybyinteractionwitharemotedisplayforpresenting context-specificinformation,whichisdynamicallyadjustedbasedonthedatareadbythe handheldscanner.Thesefunctionsincludestandarduserinteractionssuchasmenu navigation,dataentry,andconfirmationofscannedorprocessedinformation.Thekeypad30 allowsforquickexecutionoffrequentlyusedcommands,reducingtheneedforcomplex touchscreeninteractionsoradditionalperipheralinputdevices.Thisimprovesoperational speed,particularlyinenvironmentswhereworkersmustprocesshighvolumesofdatainreal- time. 35 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 7 Inadditiontobasicinterfacefunctions,thekeypadintegrateswireless communicationfunctions,enablingseamlessconnectivitywithindustrialnetworks. Operatorscantriggerwirelessdatatransmission,initiatesynchronizationwithcloud-based traceabilityplatforms,orswitchbetweendifferentcommunicationprotocolssuchasWi-Fi, Bluetooth,orNFC.Thisensurescontinuousreal-timeupdateswithinthetraceabilitysystem,5 reducingdelaysininventorytracking,assetmanagement,andlogisticalcoordination. Thekeypadalsosupportsdevicecontrolfunctions,allowinguserstomanage varioushardwareaspectsofthescannerefficiently.Thesefunctionsmayincludeadjusting screenbrightnessattheconnectedremotescreen,togglingpowermodestooptimize10 batterylife,orswitchingbetweenscanningmodesbasedonoperationalneeds.By integratingthesecontrolsdirectlyintothekeypad,thedeviceminimizesdowntime associatedwithnavigatingthroughsoftwaremenus,enhancingproductivityanduser convenience. 15 Formorecomplexoperations,themodularkeypadcanexecuteadvanced operationfunctions.Thesemayincludelaunchingpre-programmedworkflows,performing batchscanning,automatingdataprocessingtasks,orinteractingwithenterpriseresource planning(ERP)andwarehousemanagementsystems(WMS).Theabilitytoassignthese specializedfunctionstodedicatedkeyssimplifiesoperationalprocessesandensuresthat20 criticaltraceabilitytaskscanbeperformedwithminimaleffortanderrorrisk. Byincorporatingapredefinedyetconfigurablekeystructure,themodular keypadmatrixprovidesabalancebetweenstandardizationandadaptability.Industrial userscancustomizethekeypadlayoutaccordingtotheirspecificoperationalneeds,25 ensuringthatthescannerremainsversatileacrossdifferentusecases. Insummary,themodularkeypadmatrixenhancesthescanner'susability, efficiency,andadaptability,makingitanessentialtoolfortraceabilityinindustriallogistics. Itscustomizablenaturesupportsawiderangeofinterface,communication,control,and30 advancedoperationalfunctions,ensuringseamlessinteractionbetweentheoperatorand thetraceabilitysystem. Accordingtoanembodiment,thehousingoftheprogrammablemodular keypadfurthercomprisesaslotconfiguredtoaccommodatearemovablemembrane35 keyboardcompatiblewiththemodularkeypadmatrix. 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 8 Thisdedicatedslotisdesignedtoaccommodatearemovablemembrane keyboardthatisfullycompatiblewiththemodularkeypadmatrix.Thisfeatureenhancesthe adaptabilityofthedevice,allowinguserstomodifyorexpanditsinputfunctionalitybased onspecificoperationalneedswithinanindustriallogisticsenvironment. 5 Theremovablemembranekeyboardprovidesapracticalsolutionfor applicationsthatrequireamoreextensiveorspecializedinputinterface.Unlike conventionalfixedkeypads,thismodularapproachenablesoperatorstoswapdifferent membranekeyboardsdependingontheirworkflowrequirements.Forinstance,usersina warehousesettingmightrequireastandardnumerickeypadforinventoryinput,while10 operatorsinqualitycontrolmayneedspecializedfunctionkeysdedicatedtospecific scanningorverificationtasks.Thislevelofcustomizationensuresthatthedeviceremains versatileacrossvariousindustrialapplications. Furthermore,anautomaticrecognitionelement,suchasanRFIDtag,maybe15 integratedintheremovablemembranekeyboard.Thisallowsforautomaticdetectionand configurationofthekeypadlayoutduringinstallation,ensuringseamlessadjustmentof settingsandorientationtosuitdifferentuserpreferences. Anotherkeyadvantageofthisdesignisdurabilityandhygiene.Industrial20 environmentsoftenexposedevicestoharshconditions,includingdust,moisture,and contaminants.Themembranekeyboard,beingsealedandresistanttoliquidsanddebris, offersenhancedprotectioncomparedtotraditionalmechanicalkeypads.Thismakesit particularlyusefulinindustriessuchasfoodprocessing,pharmaceuticals,and manufacturing,wherecleanlinessanddevicelongevityarecritical.Additionally,the25 removablenatureofthemembraneallowsforeasyreplacementorcleaning,ensuringthat thescannerremainsfunctionalwithouttheneedforextensivemaintenanceordowntime. Theintegrationwiththemodularkeypadmatrixensuresseamlessoperation, astheremovablemembranekeyboardinterfacesdirectlywiththeunderlyingmodular30 keypadmatrix.Thisguaranteesthatallkeyinputsareprocessedefficiently,whethertheuser employsthedefaultkeypadoranalternativemembrane.Thedesignalsoallowsforhot- swappablefunctionality,meaningthatoperatorscanreplacethemembranekeyboard withoutdisruptingthesystem’soperation,reducingworkflowinterruptions. 35 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 9 Furthermore,thisfeaturesupportsergonomicimprovements,asdifferent membraneconfigurationscanbeoptimizedforusercomfort.Industrialworkerswhooperate thedeviceforextendedperiodscanbenefitfromsoft-touchortactilefeedbackoptions, reducingstrainandimprovingefficiency.Additionally,customlayoutswithlargerkeysor high-contrastprintingcanbedevelopedtoenhanceaccessibilityforusersworkinginlow-5 lightenvironmentsorwithprotectivegloves. Insummary,incorporatingaslotforaremovablemembranekeyboardwithin theprogrammablemodularkeypad’shousingsignificantlyenhancesthedevice’s customizability,durability,andusability.Thisdesignchoiceensuresthatthescannerremains10 adaptabletovariousindustrialneedswhilemaintaininghighperformanceinchallenging environments.Byenablingeasyreplacement,maintenance,andergonomicadjustments,thisfeaturefurtherstrengthenstheefficiencyandpracticalityofthetraceabilitysystem. Accordingtoanembodiment,theslotcomprisesareceivingsurface15 designedtosecurelyandreversiblyattachtheremovablemembranekeyboard.Preferably, itmaycomprisesliderailsdesignedtoguideandsupporttheslidinginsertionandremoval oftheremovablemembranekeyboard. Inoneembodiment,theslotfortheremovablemembranekeyboardis20 designedwithareceivingsurfacethatallowsforsecureandreversibleattachment.This ensuresthatthemembranekeyboardremainsfirmlyinplaceduringoperationwhilestill allowinguserstodetachandreplaceitwhenneeded.Thesecureattachmentmechanism preventsaccidentaldislodgment,eveninhigh-intensityindustrialenvironments,where frequenthandlingandmovementcouldotherwisecompromisestability.Alternatively,the25 slotmayincorporatesliderailsthatguideandsupportthesmoothinsertionandremovalof themembranekeyboard.Thisdesignenhancesusabilitybyallowingoperatorstoswap keyboardsquicklyandprecisely,reducingtheriskofmisalignmentorimproperattachment. Theslidingmechanismensuresconsistentpositioningandmechanicalconnectivitywiththe modularkeypadmatrix,enablingseamlessoperationwithoutrequiringadditional30 adjustments. Accordingtoanembodiment,thehousingfurthercomprisesaconnection interfacepositionedonasideoppositethemodularkeypadmatrix,theconnection interfacebeingconfiguredtosecurelyanddetachablyattachtoasupport.35 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 10 Bypositioningtheconnectioninterfaceontheoppositesideofthekeypad, thedesignmaintainsergonomicefficiency.Themodularkeypadremainsfullyaccessible whilethedeviceismounted,ensuringsmoothoperationwithoutobstruction.Thissetupalso facilitatesone-handeduse,reducingoperatorstrainandimprovingworkflowefficiency.This secureattachmentmechanismfurtherensuresthatthedeviceremainsstableduring5 operation,evenindemandingconditionswherefrequentmovementsorvibrationsoccur. Thisisparticularlyusefulinwarehouse,manufacturing,andlogisticssettings,whereoperators needquickandeasyaccesstothescannerwithouthavingtoalwaysholdit.Theabilityto detachthedevice,whennecessary,alsoprovidesflexibility,allowinguserstoswitch betweenhandheldandmountedoperationdependingonthetaskathand.10 Accordingtoanembodiment,theconnectioninterfacefurthercomprisesa connectionmodulemanagedbythepowermanagementmoduleandconfiguredto connecttoanexternalpowersource. 15 Thisfeatureenhancestheoperationallongevityandreliabilityofthemodular keypadsystem,ensuringcontinuousfunctionalityindemandingindustrialenvironments wherebatterylifelimitationscouldotherwisedisruptworkflows.Byintegratingaconnection module,thekeypadsystemcanseamlesslytransitionbetweenbattery-poweredand externallypoweredmodes,forexamplewornbyauser.Thisisparticularlyusefulinsettings20 whereprolongeduseisrequired,wherefrequentrecharginginterruptionscouldreduce efficiency.Thepowermanagementmoduleintelligentlyregulatespowerdistribution,preventingoverchargingandoptimizingenergyconsumptiontomaintainconsistent performance.Byenablingexternalpowerintegration,thisdesignincreasesdevicelifespan, reducesdowntime,andenhancesoverallefficiency,makingthemodularkeypadsystem25 anidealsolutionforindustrialapplicationsrequiringcontinuousandreliableoperation. Accordingtoanembodiment,theconnectioninterfacefurthercomprisesa commandinputinterfaceconfiguredtoreceiveoneormorecommandsignalsfroman externaldevicewhenattachedtothesupport.30 Thecommandinputinterfaceenablesthedevicetoreceivecommand signalsfromanexternaldevicewhenattachedtoasupport,aswillbefurtherdiscussed. Accordingtoanembodiment,theconnectioninterfacehasasymmetrical geometryalongatleastoneaxis,whereinthesymmetricalgeometryenablesattachment35 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 11 tothesupportintwooppositeorientations,whereintheconnectioninterfacemaintains identicalfunctionalityinbothorientationswhenattached. Byenablingbidirectionalattachment,themodularkeypadsystemcanbe mountedinthemostconvenientorientationbasedontheuser'sworkfloworspatial5 constraints.Thesymmetricaldesignalsoimprovesergonomicsbyallowingbothleft-and right-handeduserstointeractwiththedeviceefficiently.Thisallowstodirectthescannerin differentorientationstherebyenablingbetteraccessibilityandadaptabilityacrossdiverse workenvironments. 10 Accordingtoasecondaspectoftheinventionaremovablemembrane keyboardisdisclosedcomprisingkeysandconfiguredtobyhousedbytheprogrammable modularkeypadsystemaccordingtothefirstaspectoftheinvention. Theremovablemembranekeyboardconstitutesanindependentclaim,15 distinctfrombutinherentlylinkedtotheprogrammablemodularkeypadsystemofthefirst aspect.Muchlikeplugsandsockets,thesetwoinventionsfunctionindependentlyyetare designedtointerfaceseamlessly,ensuringcompatibilityandenhancedfunctionalitywhen usedtogether.Themodularkeypadsystemprovidesthestructuralandelectronic framework,whiletheremovablemembranekeyboardservesasacustomizableinput20 interface,allowingforadaptabilityacrossdifferentindustrialapplications.Thisrelationship ensuresthatwhileeachcomponentretainsstandaloneutility,theirintegrationoffersa versatileandefficientsolutionfortraceabilityandoperationalcontrolinindustrial environments. 25 Accordingtoanembodiment,theremovablemembranekeyboardisfurther configuredtoadjusttheappearanceofitskeysinaccordancewiththesettingsofthe customizablekeyswithinthemodularkeypadmatrix. Accordingtoathirdaspect,asupportdeviceforawristisdisclosed30 comprising: -holdingmeansforastraptoencircleawearer’swristandprovideasecurefit; -asupportstructuremountedontheholdingmeanscomprisingareceiverconfigured toestablishaphysicalconnectionwiththeconnectioninterfaceofthe programmablemodularkeypadsystemaccordingtothefirstaspectofthe35 invention. 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 12 Thewrist-mountedsupportdeviceconstitutesanindependentclaim,distinct frombutcloselyrelatedtotheprogrammablemodularkeypadsystemofthefirstaspect. Justasadockingstationenhancesthefunctionalityofalaptop,thissupportdeviceextends theusabilityofthemodularkeypadbyenablingwearable,hands-freeoperation.Thesecure attachmentmechanismensuresstabilitywhileallowingeasydetachment,makingthe5 supportdeviceaversatilecomplementtothemodularkeypadsystem. Thiswearablesupportsolutionenhancesportability,accessibility,andhands- freeoperation,makingitparticularlybeneficialinindustrialandlogisticsenvironmentswhere mobilityandefficiencyarecrucial.10 Thesupportdevicecomprisesholdingmeansforastrap.Thestrapisdesigned toencirclethewearer’swrist,ensuringasecureandcomfortablefitduringextendeduse.It providesstabilitywhileallowingfornaturalhandmovement,preventingdiscomfortor obstructionduringtaskssuchasscanning,dataentry,orequipmenthandling.The15 adjustablenatureofthestrapensuresthatitcanaccommodatevariouswristsizes,making itadaptablefordifferentusersinanindustrialsetting.Thisadaptabilityeliminatestheneed fordifferentsupportsizes,asthesamedevicecanbeusedacrossoperators.Unlikeglove- mountedsolutions,thehandremainsfree,whichnotonlyimproveshygienebyreducing sweatandcontaminationrisksbutalsoenhancestheuser’sabilitytograspandhandle20 objectsfreely Thesupportdevicehousesareceiverfortheconnectioninterfaceofthe modularkeypadsystem.Thisreceiverestablishesasecureyetdetachablephysical connection,allowingthekeypadsystemtobeeasilymountedandremovedasneeded.By25 positioningthesupportstructurewiththekeypadonthewrist,thedeviceremainsreadily accessible,reducingtheneedforworkerstoconstantlypickupandputdownahandheld scannerorcontroller.Byintegratingsecureattachment,ergonomicdesign,andfunctional adaptability,thiswrist-mountedsupportdeviceexpandstheusabilityofthemodularkeypad system,offeringaversatileanduser-friendlysolutionformodernindustrialenvironments.30 Sincetheconnectioninterfacehasasymmetricalgeometryalongatleast oneaxisasexplainedabove,themodularkeypadsystemcanbemountedonthesupport deviceintwodistinctdirectionsyetkeepingitsfunctionality. 35 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 13 Accordingtoanembodiment,thereceiverisfurtherconfiguredtointerface withanexternalinputmoduleadaptedtooperateinconjunctionwiththeprocessingunit oftheprogrammablemodularkeypadsystem.Thereceivermayfurthercomprisea magneticconnectortointerfacewiththeexternalinputdevice. 5 Thesupportdevicecomprisesareceiverthatisdesignedtointerfacewithan externalinputmodule,whichisconfiguredtointeractwiththeprocessingunitofthe programmablemodularkeypadsystem.Thisreceivermayfurtherbeadaptedtofacilitate communicationwiththeexternalinputmodule,ensuringseamlessintegrationwithinthe system.Tothisend,thereceivermaycompriseamagneticconnector,providingasecure10 andreliableinterfaceforconnectingtheexternalinputdevice.Thismagneticconnection mechanismenhanceseaseofusebyallowingquickattachmentanddetachmentwhile ensuringastableelectricalordataconnection.Suchaconfigurationenablesefficient operationoftheexternalinputmodule,whichmayincludecomponentssuchascontrol buttons,therebyextendingthefunctionalityofthemodularkeypadsystem.15 Accordingtoanembodiment,akitofpartsisdisclosedcomprisinga programmablemodularkeypadsystemaccordingtothefirstaspect,aremoveable membranekeyboardaccordingtothesecondaspect,andasupportdeviceaccordingto thethirdaspect.20 BriefdescriptionoftheDrawings Exemplaryembodimentsoftheinventionaredescribedusingthefigures.Itis tobeunderstoodthatthesefiguresmerelyserveasexamplesofhowtheinventioncanbe25 implementedandareinnowayintendedtobeconstruedaslimitingforthescopeofthe inventionandtheclaims. Figure1presentsaperspectiveviewofthestackedPCBarchitectureofthe programmablemodularkeypadsystem,inaccordancewithanembodimentofthe30 invention. Figure2providesasideviewofthestackedPCBarchitectureasdepictedin Figure1. 35 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 14 Figure3illustratesaperspectiveviewoftheprogrammablemodularkeypad systemintegratedwithahousedmembranekeyboard. Figure4offersanotherperspectiveviewoftheprogrammablemodular keypadsystem,showingthemembranekeyboardpositionedabovethesystem.5 Figure5displaysaperspectiveviewofthesupportdeviceaccordingtoan embodimentoftheinvention. Figure6showsasideviewofthesupportdeviceaspresentedinFigure5.10 Figure7illustratesthemodularkeypadsystemhousedwithinthesupport device,accordingtoanembodimentoftheinvention. Figure8providesanoverviewofthesoftwarearchitectureofthe programmablemodularkeypadsystem,inlinewithanembodimentoftheinvention.15 Figure9depictsauser’shandwearingthemodularkeypadsystem,whichis securedbythesupportdevicewithastraparoundthewrist. Figure10furtherillustratesthesupportdevicewithawriststrap,asshownin20 Figure9. Inthedrawings,thesamereferencenumbershavebeenallocatedtothe sameoranalogueelement. 25 Detaileddescriptionofanembodimentoftheinvention Othercharacteristicsandadvantagesofthepresentinventionwillbederived fromthenon-limitativefollowingdescription,andbymakingreferencetothedrawingsand theexamples.30 Theinventionwillnowbedescribedindetailwithreferencetothe accompanyingdrawings,whichillustratevariousembodimentsoftheprogrammable modularkeypadsystemanditsassociatedcomponents.Figure1providesaperspective viewofthestackedPCBarchitectureoftheprogrammablemodularkeypadsystem,while35 Figure2presentsacorrespondingsideview.Figures3and4illustratedifferentperspectives 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 15 ofthesystem,includinganembodimentwithahousedmembranekeyboardandan alternativeviewwherethemembranekeyboardispositionedabovethesystem.The inventionfurtherincludesasupportdevice,asshowninFigure5,withadetailedsideview providedinFigure6.Figure7demonstrateshowthemodularkeypadsystemishousedwithin thesupportdevice.Inadditiontothehardwarecomponents,Figure8outlinesthesoftware5 architectureoftheprogrammablemodularkeypadsystem,detailingitsfunctional interactions.Figures9and10illustrateanembodimentwherethemodularkeypadsystem, securedbythesupportdevicewithastrap,iswornontheuser'swrist.Thesefigures collectivelyprovideacomprehensiveunderstandingofthestructuralandfunctional aspectsoftheinvention.10 Thedeviceisspecificallydesignedtobemounteddirectlyontheoperator’s hand,withakeydesignconstraintfocusedonminimizingitsheighttomaintaintheuser’s agilityandeaseofmovement.Toachievethis,acompactandergonomicformfactoris implemented,utilizing,forexample,a40×60mmPrintedCircuitBoard(PCB).Thiscompact15 sizeismadefeasiblethroughadvancedPCBdesigntechniquesandhigh-density componentassembly,ensuringthatthedeviceremainsasunobtrusiveaspossiblewhilestill deliveringthenecessaryfunctionalitiesrequiredforindustrialapplications.ThestackedPCB architectureasillustratedinFigure1and2furtherenhancesflexibility,allowingfor adaptabilityintermsofbothformfactorandergonomics.Themodulardesignenablesthe20 mainPCBtoremainconsistentacrossdifferentmodels,whiletheupperPCB,whichhouses thekeyboardandNFCantenna,canbemodifiedtoaccommodatespecificoperator requirementsoradapttovaryingworkenvironments.Thisdesignapproachensuresa balancebetweenstandardizationandcustomization,facilitatingseamlessintegrationinto diverseindustrialworkflows.25 Inadditiontoitscorecomponents,thesystemcanalsoincludeaUSB connection,allowingforseamlessdatatransfer,deviceconfiguration,andpowersupply. ThisUSBinterfaceenhancesthesystem’sversatility,enablingittobeeasilyconnectedto externaldevicessuchascomputers,industrialterminals,orchargingstations.Furthermore,30 LEDindicatorscanbeintegratedtoprovidereal-timevisualfeedbackonthedevice’s status,suchaspowerlevels,datatransmissionactivity,orscanningoperations.These indicatorsenhanceuserexperiencebyofferingintuitivestatusmonitoring,ensuringefficient operationinvariousindustrialenvironments. 35 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 16 ThesystemcanoptionallyincludeanInertialMeasurementUnit(IMU)to detectandrecordtheoperator’smovements.Thissensorenablesadvancedfunctionalities suchasgesturerecognitionorautomatedtasktriggeringbasedonmotion,enhancing hands-freeinteractionandefficiencyinindustrialenvironments.Additionally,thesystem maybeequippedwithinternalflashand / oramicro-SDcardslot,allowingforlocaldata5 storageofactivitylogs,scannedinformation,orsoftwareupdates.Thisfeatureprovides greaterflexibilityindatamanagement,enablingofflineoperationandreducingrelianceon continuouscloudconnectivity.BoththeIMUandmicro-SDcardareoptional enhancements,allowingthesystemtobeconfiguredaccordingtospecificapplication requirements.10 Toachievethislevelofadaptabilityandfunctionality,thesystemisdesigned withamodulararchitecturecomprisingseveralkeycomponents.Itincludesaremovable housing100thatencasesandprotectstheinternalelementswhileallowingforeasy maintenanceandupgrades.Amembranekeyboard101canbehousedbythesystem,15 providingaresponsiveanddurableuserinterfacesuitableforindustrialenvironments.To enhancedurabilityandsafeguardinternalcomponents,aprotectivecover102is incorporated,shieldingthedevicefromexternalimpacts,dust,andmoisture.Thesystem furtherfeaturesamodularkeypadmatrix103,whichallowsforcustomizationbasedon specificoperationalneeds,ensuringversatilityacrossvariousindustrialapplications.Atthe20 coreofthesystemliesthePCB104,aspreviouslydiscussed,whichservesastheprimary electronicplatformforprocessinguserinputsandmanagingdevicefunctions.Additionally, ascanningmodule105isincluded,enablingdatacapturecapabilitiessuchasbarcodeor RFIDscanning,furtherextendingthedevice’sutilityinindustrialandlogisticssettings.This combinationofcomponentsensuresthatthesystemisbothadaptableandrobust,meeting25 thedemandingrequirementsofindustrialoperatorswhilemaintainingacompactand ergonomicformfactor. Whenfullyassembled,thesystemformsacompactandergonomichandheld device300,withthemembranekeyboard101securelyhousedwithinthestructure.As30 illustratedinFigure4,themembranekeyboardcanalsoberemovedfromtheslot400ofthe housing,offeringflexibilityformaintenance,replacement,orcustomizationbasedonuser requirements. Thesystemisdesignedtobeequallyfunctionalforbothright-handedandleft-35 handedoperatorswithoutrequiringhardwaremodifications.Thisuniversaldesignreduces 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 17 productioncomplexityandcostswhilemaintainingergonomicefficiency.Akeyfactorin achievingthisadaptabilityisthesupportdeviceasillustratedinFigures5and6,whichallows forsecureandstablemountingontheoperator’shandorwristwithoutaddingunnecessary bulk,asillustratedinFigures9and10.Thesupportdeviceissecuredusingsiderails503that clipsthekeypadsystem.Thisclippingmechanismprovidesaquickandstablewaytoattach5 thesupportwhileensuringalow-profiledesignthatdoesnotinterferewithmovement.The supportcanfurtherbesecureddirectlytothewristusingadjustablestraps902,similartoa watch,withholdingmeans504suitableforastrap902toencircleawearer’swrist.Thisstrap- basedattachmentmethodensuresthattheoperator’shandremainsfreefortasksrequiring precision,suchashandlingobjects,drivingaforklift,oropeningpackages.Additionally,by10 avoidingfull-handcoverage,thisconfigurationimprovesairflowandbreathability,making itparticularlybeneficialinwarmenvironmentsorduringextendedworkperiods. Tofacilitateeffortlessoperation,anactivationbutton901forthe105scanner isdesignedasaseparateelasticbandthatwrapsaroundoneofthefingers.Thisplacement15 enablestheoperatortotriggerthescanner105withasimplefingerflex,eliminatingthe needforafullglovewhilemaintainingcompletefreedomofmovementfortheotherfingers. Thisconfigurationenhancesusabilitybyensuringnaturalandintuitivecontrol,regardlessof whetherthedeviceiswornontheleftorrighthand. 20 Furthermore,thesupportdevicecomprisesareceiver501forreceivingtothe connectionmoduleofthekeypadsystemformakingcontact.Thesemayfurthercomprise amagneticbutton,whichactivatesthescanner,issymmetricallyplacedontherearsideof thedevice.Thisensuresaconsistentdistancefromthefinger-wornbutton,regardlessof whichhandisused,maintaininguniformfunctionality.Similarly,thepowerbuttonisalso25 locatedontherearsideforeasyaccess,eliminatingtheneedforseparateconfigurations fordifferenthandorientations. Thesupportdevicecomprisesareceiver501designedtoaccommodatethe connectionmoduleofthekeypadsystem,ensuringasecureandreliableinterfacefor30 establishingcontact.Thisreceiverfacilitatestheseamlessintegrationofthemodularkeypad system,allowingforefficientdataandpowertransmissionbetweenthekeypadandthe supportdevice.Toenhanceeaseofuseandensureaquickandstableattachment,the receivercanfurtherincorporateamagneticbuttonmechanism.Thismagneticinterface enablesthekeypadsystemtobeeffortlesslyalignedandsecurelyconnectedwithout35 requiringcomplexlockingmechanismsormanualadjustments. 2025 / 5084 BE2025 / 5084 18 Finally,

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